Cryptocurrencies are increasingly making their presence felt, according to Matt Hougan, CEO of Bitwise—the world’s largest crypto index fund manager. In an interview with Bloomberg, he predicted the start of a multi-year bull market in cryptocurrencies. This forecast is based on the market’s remarkable resilience in the face of regulatory challenges and the recent entry of BlackRock, a global leader in investment management, into the crypto market.
Following the FTX debacle last November, cryptocurrency prices have steadily risen. The entrance of BlackRock, which has publicly acknowledged the importance of Bitcoin, is seen as a significant endorsement of digital currencies. BlackRock’s involvement strongly indicates that institutional investors recognize Bitcoin as a viable asset for long-term investment. This shift in investor sentiment marks the start of what Hougan refers to as ‘the mainstream era of crypto’.
Crypto equities on the rise
However, the story doesn’t end with asset prices. Hougan said that another area to watch is crypto equities, stocks closely tied to the digital asset markets or the underlying distributed ledger technology.
Furthermore, Hougan anticipates that the growth of crypto equities will outpace crypto asset prices, citing the more than 100% increase in Bitwise’s index of crypto equities this year.
The impending entry of new crypto companies into the stock market marks a significant moment in the growth of this industry. As Bitcoin and other digital assets continue to rise, these crypto infrastructure companies will likely see stronger results. The anticipation of initial public offerings (IPOs) from these companies suggests a vibrant future for the industry, according to Hougan.
“Many companies in the crypto space are generating a lot of interest and are expected to see stronger results as the value of Bitcoin and other crypto assets continue to rise. This will likely lead to an increase in initial public offerings (IPOs). Additionally, crypto equities have outperformed crypto asset prices, with our index of crypto equities rising more than 100% this year. As a result, we can expect to see more debuts in the industry, and it’s an exciting time for crypto as it continues to grow rapidly.”
Matt Hougan, CEO of Bitwise
